Hop plant named &#39;HBC 563&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new hop plant named ‘HBC 563’ is disclosed. The cones of ‘HBC 563’ mature in early September, and yield a crop of 2200 to 2600 pounds per acre. ‘HBC 563’ is used for its very unique aromatic quality, high alpha acid content and exceptional yield.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None

GENUS AND SPECIES

Humulus lupulus

VARIETY DENOMINATION

HBC 563

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘HBC 563’ is a product of a controlled breeding program carried out by the inventors in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. ‘HBC 563’ was one of several seedlings resulting from a cross made in 2007 of female parent ‘Galena’ (not patented) and male parent ‘20-9-10’ (not patented). A single plant of ‘HBC 563’ was discovered in 2010 and used in a brewing trial during the winter of 2010-2011. Based on the results of the preliminary brewing trial, ‘HBC 563’ was expanded in 2011 to one acre in the Toppenish, Wash. area to test large scale growing, brewing and solvent extraction beginning with the 2012 crop. Through several generations of asexual propagation by softwood cuttings at a greenhouse facility in Yakima, Wash., ‘HBC 563’ has been observed to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

FIG. 1 illustrates the dried and pressed hop cones of ‘HBC 563’.

The colors of these illustrations may vary with lighting conditions and, therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from these illustrations alone.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on observations made during the 2012 growing season at Toppenish, Wash. It should be understood that the characteristics described will vary somewhat depending upon cultural practices and climatic conditions, and can vary with location and season. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from a number of individual plants of the new variety. The measurements of any individual plant or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average.

-   Ploidy: Triploid -   Use: Brewing -   Disease susceptibility: ‘HBC 563 is not resistant to mild     infestations of hop downy mildew incited by Pseudoperonospora     humuli. ‘HBC 563’ is resistant to strains of hop powdery mildew     found in the Yakima Valley and incited by Podosphaera macularis. -   Pest susceptibility: ‘HBC 563’ is not resistant to normal     infestations of hop aphid Phorodon humuli and two-spotted spider     mite Tetranychus urticae. -   Harvest date: September 2-8 (2012 growing season, Toppenish, Wash.) -   Crop yield: 2200 to 2600 pounds per acre -   Cone storage: 15% to 25% loss of soft resins after 6 month storage     at room temperature. -   Analytical characteristics:     -   -   Alpha acid.—14% to 15%.         -   Beta acid.—8.5% to 9.5%.         -   Cohumulone.—35% to 37%.         -   Total oil.—1.6 to 2.0 mL per 100 g cones.         -   Storage stability.—70% to 80% alpha acids remaining after             six months storage at room temperature. 

1. What is claimed is a new and distinct hop plant as shown and described herein. 